Switch Replacement
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Switch Replacement
Hope I can get a little help on this,
I have three switches in my family room, all are three way, two are connected together meaning both in the same mounting, hope that makes sense, one why it is a 3 way I don't know, but it only operates a wall receptical nothing else, the other two operate the hall light and the garage light. The problem I have is the two mounted together set horizontal in the box, while the third sets vertical. We recently redid the family room, and through the remodeling tossed out the wall plate and of course no body makes that plate. Now I have replaced the switches, the first to the wall receptical works fine no issues, but I could not find a switch with two 3 way switches in it, only one 3 way and one normal so I decided to put the hall light on a the 3 way and place the garage light on a normal switch.
I hooked up the hall switch with the 3 way and it worked fine, until I put the garage light on the normal switch and I am thinking unhooked the traveling wire or carrier, this lets both switches work as normal, but of course will not let me turn off the hall light from the other switch at the top of the stairs. When I hook up the other wire this lets the hall switch operate as it should from either switch, But the garage light will not shut off. Is there an easy solution to this besides replacing the gang and puting in 3 3 ways?
Thanks for any help you can give.
I have three switches in my family room, all are three way, two are connected together meaning both in the same mounting, hope that makes sense, one why it is a 3 way I don't know, but it only operates a wall receptical nothing else, the other two operate the hall light and the garage light. The problem I have is the two mounted together set horizontal in the box, while the third sets vertical. We recently redid the family room, and through the remodeling tossed out the wall plate and of course no body makes that plate. Now I have replaced the switches, the first to the wall receptical works fine no issues, but I could not find a switch with two 3 way switches in it, only one 3 way and one normal so I decided to put the hall light on a the 3 way and place the garage light on a normal switch.
I hooked up the hall switch with the 3 way and it worked fine, until I put the garage light on the normal switch and I am thinking unhooked the traveling wire or carrier, this lets both switches work as normal, but of course will not let me turn off the hall light from the other switch at the top of the stairs. When I hook up the other wire this lets the hall switch operate as it should from either switch, But the garage light will not shut off. Is there an easy solution to this besides replacing the gang and puting in 3 3 ways?
Thanks for any help you can give.
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You can find any wall plate you need, you just have to look.
You can find a replacement duplex switch that it two three ways or two normal switches, you just have to look.
So what is your goal here? Do you want to find switches and a wall plate to match the original, or do you want to install something new?
I will point out that three way switches can be used as two way switches.
If you want help with what you have, tell us all the wiring in the box. You will probably have to tell us the wiring at each light/receptacle, etc. We also need to know if there are other switches involved and how they are wired.
You can find a replacement duplex switch that it two three ways or two normal switches, you just have to look.
So what is your goal here? Do you want to find switches and a wall plate to match the original, or do you want to install something new?
I will point out that three way switches can be used as two way switches.
If you want help with what you have, tell us all the wiring in the box. You will probably have to tell us the wiring at each light/receptacle, etc. We also need to know if there are other switches involved and how they are wired.
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You will have to go to an electrical supply house for the 3-way over 3-way.
Ive never found 1 in the box stores. However the plate is very common.
Ive never found 1 in the box stores. However the plate is very common.
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Switch Replacement
A novel idea, looking that is. I have been to 4 home depot's, 4 Lowes, 3 hardware stores and one supposedly eletrical supply that didn't have the plate or the switch. I am not one to ask for help often, My father in law who is an electrical engineer of 37 years recently had a stroke, hence the remodeling of my family room, I my self work 16 to 18 hrs a day and this is the first weekend I have had off since the beggining of May. It really doesn't leave me much time to look, but thats what I was doing when I found this site. I thought, no matter, I did find the switch on line after I posted to here, so I won't need your help after all. But hey thanks for the suggestion,
heres one for you.
As we go through life, we all have our crosses to bear, some are just heavier than others. The way to tell this.. you just have to LOOK to see which people are being dragged down by theirs.
To lectriclee thanks, I did find it at a supply house on line that had the switch but not the plate. Either one will fix the issue.
heres one for you.
As we go through life, we all have our crosses to bear, some are just heavier than others. The way to tell this.. you just have to LOOK to see which people are being dragged down by theirs.
To lectriclee thanks, I did find it at a supply house on line that had the switch but not the plate. Either one will fix the issue.
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The 2-horizontal switches, They are over/under, not side by side, right?
And the single is just a toggle,right? If so there should be no problem finding this. If the single is a rocker switch, this should be no issue either.
If you still have a problem, try to post a picture, So we can see the dilema.
Good luck.
And the single is just a toggle,right? If so there should be no problem finding this. If the single is a rocker switch, this should be no issue either.
If you still have a problem, try to post a picture, So we can see the dilema.
Good luck.